Metallic piano-back.



No. 802,568. PATENTED OUT. 24, 1905. J. F. HUNER.

METALLIC PIANO BACK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.26. 1903. RENEWED MAR.28,1905.

2 SHEBTSSHEET l.

PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905.

Jr P. HUNERH METALLIC PIANO BACK.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.26,1903. RENEWED MAR.28,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m M w L. m u

WWI um 4i L JOHN F. HUNER, OF WEST 'HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

METALLIC PIANO-BACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed February 26, 1903. Renewed March 28, 1905. Serial No. 252.527.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. HUNER, a citizen of the United States, residing in West Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Piano-Backs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in metallic piano-backs for use in upright, grand, and other pianos, so as to dispense with the heavy wooden braces on which the wrest-plank is supported and substitute therefor a support that has the advantage of greater lightness and permanency and by which the pianos are better adapted to be independent of changes of temperature when shipped to tropical countries; and for this purpose the invention consists of a metallic piano-back made of one integral piece of sheet or other suitable metal and provided with openings having raised flanges around the same and exterior flanges around the sides of the back, the upper ends of the flanges of the openings being recessed for supporting the wrest-plank, while the space between the side flanges and the bottom flange of the openings serves for receiving the supporting-blocks for the sounding-board and string-frame, as will be more fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of one form of my improved metallic piano-back. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a vertical transverse and a horizontal section of the same taken, respectively, on lines 2 2 and 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a modified form of my improved piano-back. respectively a vertical transverse and a horizontal section taken on lines 5 '5 and 6 6, Fig. 4; and Figs. 7 and 8 are front elevations of the blanks employed for the piano back shown, respectively, in Figs. 1 and 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a piano-back for upright pianos. The pianoback A is rectangular in shape and is preferably made of sheet-steel of suitable thickness and design, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The stock 8 for the flanges (shown in dotted lines in Figs. 7 and 8) is bent up by dies of corresponding size, so as to form the exterior flanges a and interior flanges b. The interior flanges Z) surround the openings 1), as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. i The stock 8 for the exterior Figs. 5 and 6 are flanges a and interior flanges I) has to be provided for in the blanks, so that when the stock is subjected to the hydraulically-operated dies the stock is bent up around theopenings 6 without breaking the continuity of the same. The interior flanges b are preferably of greater height than the exterior flanges a, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 5, and have, preferably,

.a slight inclination toward the lower end, so

that the flanges are of less depth at the lower end than at the upper end for the support of the sounding-board and string-frame that rests on the same in the usual manner. The upper ends of the flanges Z) are recessed parallel with the plane of the back, said recesses 6 being at a uniform level, so as to support the wrest-plank, to which the tuning-pins are screwed in the usual manner. The spaces formed between the bottom interior flange and interior side flanges are utilized for inserting the necessary wooden blocks required for supporting the sounding-board and stringframe.

The improved piano-back is also applicable to grand pianos, in which case, however, the shape of the same corresponds to the wing shape of the grand piano. The improved piano-back is intended as a substitute for the heavy wooden braces which heretofore formed the back or bottom of pianos, giving an equal clear tone, and are more especially intended for rendering the pianos insensitive to changes of temperature and better adapted for tropical climates than pianos with wooden backs or bottoms.

Having thus described my invention,I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A metallic pianoback provided with openings, interior flanges extending around said openings, said interior flanges being recessed at the upper ends for forming a support for the wrest-plank, and exterior flanges around the sides of the piano-back, substantially as set forth.

2. A metallic piano-back provided with longitudinal openings, exterior flanges around the sides of the piano-back, and interior flanges extending around said openings, the interior flanges being of greater height than the exterior flanges for supporting the soundingboard and string-frame, substantially as set forth.

3. A piano-back made of one integral piece of sheet metal provided with exterior flanges, openings in the body or web of the back, flanges around the openings of greater height than the exterior flanges and slightly inclined interior flanges forming a support for the toward the plane of the back from the upper wrest-plank, substantially as set forth. to the lower ends, substantially as set forth. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 4. A piano-back made of an integral piece my invention I have signed my name in pres- 5 of sheet metal provided With exterior flanges, ence of two subscribing Witnesses.

openings in the body of the back, flanges around said openings of greater height than JOHN HUNER' the exterior flanges and inclined toward the Witnesses: plane of the back from the upper to the lower PAUL GOEPEL,

1 ends, and recesses at the upper ends of the C. P. GOEPEL. 

